Provided is an electronic watch which achieves a highest-speed fast-forward operation of a step motor based on various environments under which the watch is placed, and enables low-power driving. The electronic watch includes: a normal pulse generator circuit configured to output a normal pulse SP for driving a step motor; a detection pulse generator circuit configured to output, after the step motor has been driven with the normal pulse SP, detection pulses DP1 and DP2 for detecting whether or not the step motor has been rotated; a pulse selection circuit configured to selectively output the normal pulse SP and the detection pulses DP1 and DP2; a rotation detector circuit configured to input detection signals DS1 and DS2 generated from the detection pulses DP1 and DP2, and to determine whether or not the step motor has been rotated; and a frequency selection circuit configured to determine a driving interval of the normal pulse SP, in which the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit to select a frequency corresponding to a position at which the detection signals DS1 and DS2 have been generated.
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1. An electronic watch, comprising:
a step motor;
a normal pulse generator circuit configured to output a normal pulse for driving the step motor;
a detection pulse generator circuit configured to output, after the step motor has been driven with the normal pulse, a detection pulse for detecting whether or not the step motor has been rotated;
a pulse selection circuit configured to selectively output the normal pulse and the detection pulse;
a driver circuit configured to load a pulse output from the pulse selection circuit on the step motor;
a rotation detector circuit configured to input a detection signal generated from the detection pulse, and to determine whether or not the step motor has been rotated; and
a frequency selection circuit configured to determine a driving interval of the normal pulse, wherein:
the detection pulse generator circuit is configured to output the detection pulse so as to divide the detection pulse into predetermined segments; and
the rotation detector circuit is configured to conduct rotation detection separately in each detection segment, said detection segments corresponding to the predetermined segments, and to instruct the frequency selection circuit to select a frequency corresponding to the detection segment in which the detection signal has been detected.
15. An electronic watch, comprising:
a step motor;
a normal pulse generator circuit configured to output a normal pulse for driving the step motor;
a detection pulse generator circuit configured to output, after the step motor has been driven with the normal pulse, a detection pulse for detecting whether or not the step motor has been rotated;
a pulse selection circuit configured to selectively output the normal pulse and the detection pulse;
a driver circuit configured to load a pulse output from the pulse selection circuit on the step motor; and
a rotation detector circuit configured to input a detection signal generated from the detection pulse, and to determine whether or not the step motor has been rotated, wherein:
the detection pulse generator circuit comprises:
a first detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a first detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated first on a side different from a side of the normal pulse due to a counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and
a second detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a second detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse after the current waveform was first generated first on the side different from the side of the normal pulse due to the counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse;
the rotation detector circuit is configured to detect a timing at which a first detection signal stops being detected after the first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse has been detected, and to notify the second detection pulse generator circuit of the timing; and
the second detection pulse generator circuit is configured to generate the second detection pulse after the timing.
2. The electronic watch according to
3. The electronic watch according to
4. The electronic watch according to
the normal pulse generator circuit is configured to be able to output a plurality of the normal pulses having different driving forces; and
the rotation detector circuit is configured to select the driving force of the normal pulse based on a determination result as to whether or not the step motor has been rotated, and to instruct the normal pulse generator circuit on a selection thereof.
5. The electronic watch according to
6. The electronic watch according to
7. The electronic watch according to
wherein the rotation detector circuit is configured to select, when the number of outputs of the normal pulse having a specific driving force has reached a predetermined number, the specific driving force so as to change the specific driving force of the normal pulse.
8. The electronic watch according to
change the driving force of the normal pulse so as to reduce the driving force of the normal pulse when the driving interval of the normal pulse determined by the frequency selection circuit is relatively short; and
change the driving force of the normal pulse so as to increase the driving force of the normal pulse when the driving interval of the normal pulse determined by the frequency selection circuit is relatively long.
9. The electronic watch according to
the detection pulse generator circuit comprises:
a first detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a first detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated first on a side different from a side of the normal pulse due to a counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and
a second detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a second detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse after the current waveform was first generated on the side different from the side of the normal pulse due to the counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and
the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit based on at least any one of a first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse or a second detection signal generated from the second detection pulse.
10. The electronic watch according to
the detection pulse generator circuit further comprises a third detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a third detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse immediately after the normal pulse due to the counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and
the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit based on at least any one of the first detection signal, the second detection signal, or a third detection signal generated from the third detection pulse.
11. The electronic watch according to
12. The electronic watch according to
13. The electronic watch according to
wherein the rotation detector circuit is configured to:
instruct the pulse selection circuit to output the correction pulse when the step motor is determined to have failed to rotate; and
instruct the frequency selection circuit on such a frequency as to enable the correction pulse to be output.
14. The electronic watch according to
the rotation detector circuit is configured to detect a timing at which the first detection signal stops being detected after the first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse has been detected, and to notify the second detection pulse generator circuit of the timing; and
the second detection pulse generator circuit is configured to generate the second detection pulse after the timing.
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This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2015/056854 filed on Mar. 9, 2015. The contents of the above document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to an electronic watch configured to drive hands thereof with a step motor, and more particularly, to an electronic watch including fast-forward means for a step motor.
Hitherto, an electronic watch including an analog display means is generally configured to drive hands thereof with a step motor (also referred to as “stepping motor” or “pulse motor”). The step motor is formed of a stator to be magnetized by a coil and a rotor being a disc-shaped rotary body subjected to bipolar magnetization, and is generally involved in a fast-forward operation for moving the hands at high speed for time correction or the like as well as normal hand movement for driving the hands every second.
In the fast-forward operation, a driving pulse is supplied to the step motor with a short cycle period, but the step motor needs to operate without causing an error in the hand movement, that is, a rotation error of the rotor in response to the driving pulse for the fast forwarding with a short cycle period. Therefore, it is proposed to detect a rotation state of the rotor and supply an appropriate driving pulse based on the rotation state, to thereby carry out the fast-forward operation with stability (see, for example, PTL 1).
In PTL 1, in the driving of the step motor, assuming that reverse induced power excited by rotation of the rotor is a current or a voltage, the first peak thereof is detected, and the driving pulse is supplied while presence or absence of the rotation of the rotor keeps being verified based on the detection, to thereby achieve the fast-forward operation. Further, in PTL 1, in order to prevent an influence of spike noise ascribable to the driving pulse, there is disclosed setting an insensitive time period (mask time period) for inhibiting the reverse induced power from being detected for a predetermined time period from an output timing of the previous driving pulse, to thereby optimize a detection timing.
[PTL 1] JP 3757421 A (Page 10, FIG. 5)
However, the technology disclosed in PTL 1 involves only one detection condition for detecting reverse induced power excited by rotation of a rotor, and is therefore unable to detect fluctuations in a detected waveform (that is, rotation fluctuations of the rotor) with high accuracy. Therefore, when the rotation of the rotor becomes unstable due to a disturbance in an external magnetic field or the like, a rotation state of the rotor cannot be grasped accurately, and hence appropriate fast-forward driving cannot be conducted, which makes it difficult to speed up a fast-forward operation. Further, in the fast-forward operation, the supply of more driving power than necessary to the step motor leads to shorter battery life of an electronic watch. However, related-art detection means cannot detect rotation with high accuracy, and hence the driving power cannot be optimized, which also raises a problem in that low-power driving is difficult.
The present invention has an object to provide an electronic watch which solves the above-mentioned problems, achieves a highest-speed fast-forward operation of a step motor based on various environments under which the watch is placed, and enables low-power driving.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electronic watch according to one embodiment of the present invention employs the following configurations.
An electronic watch according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a step motor; a normal pulse generator circuit configured to output a normal pulse for driving the step motor; a detection pulse generator circuit configured to output, after the step motor has been driven with the normal pulse, a detection pulse for detecting whether or not the step motor has been rotated; a pulse selection circuit configured to selectively output the normal pulse and the detection pulse; a driver circuit configured to load a pulse output from the pulse selection circuit on the step motor; a rotation detector circuit configured to input a detection signal generated from the detection pulse, and to determine whether or not the step motor has been rotated; and a frequency selection circuit configured to determine a driving interval of the normal pulse, in which: the detection pulse generator circuit is configured to output the detection pulse so as to divide the detection pulse into predetermined segments; and the rotation detector circuit is configured to conduct detection separately in each of detection segments corresponding to the predetermined segments, and to instruct the frequency selection circuit to select a frequency corresponding to the detection segment in which the detection signal has been detected.
Further, the rotation detector circuit is configured to conduct the detection separately in each of a plurality of the detection segments, and to change a detection condition for one of the detection segments based on a detection result of another one of the detection segments.
Further, the detection condition for the detection segment includes at least any one of a segment width of the detection segment or a number of detection signals to be detected within the detection segment.
Further, the normal pulse generator circuit is configured to be able to output a plurality of the normal pulses having different driving forces; and the rotation detector circuit is configured to select the normal pulse based on a determination result as to whether or not the step motor has been rotated, and to instruct the normal pulse generator circuit on a selection thereof.
Further, the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit on the frequency corresponding to the normal pulse that has been selected and instructed.
Further, the rotation detector circuit is configured to change a detection condition within each of the detection segments so as to correspond to the normal pulse that has been selected and instructed.
Further, the electronic watch further includes a frequency counting circuit configured to count a number of outputs of the normal pulse, in which the rotation detector circuit is configured to select, when the number of outputs of the normal pulse having a specific driving force has reached a predetermined number, the driving force so as to change the specific driving force of the specific normal pulse.
The rotation detector circuit is configured to: change the driving force of the normal pulse so as to reduce the driving force of the normal pulse when the driving interval of the normal pulse determined by the frequency selection circuit is relatively short; and change the driving force of the normal pulse so as to increase the driving force of the normal pulse when the driving interval of the normal pulse determined by the frequency selection circuit is relatively long.
Further, the detection pulse generator circuit includes: a first detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a first detection pulse for detecting a current waveform (hereinafter referred to as “bell”), which is first generated on a side different from a side of the normal pulse due to a counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and a second detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a second detection pulse for detecting a current waveform (hereinafter referred to as “well”), which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse after the bell due to the counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit based on at least any one of a first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse or a second detection signal generated from the second detection pulse.
Further, the detection pulse generator circuit further includes a third detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a third detection pulse for detecting a current waveform (hereinafter referred to as “dummy well”), which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse immediately after the normal pulse due to the counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and the rotation detector circuit is configured to instruct the frequency selection circuit based on at least anyone of the first detection signal, the second detection signal, or a third detection signal generated from the third detection pulse.
Further, the electronic watch further includes a factor detection circuit configured to specify, through factor detection, at least any one of a frequency determined by the frequency selection circuit or a driving force of the normal pulse output by the normal pulse generator circuit.
Further, the factor detection circuit includes a power supply voltage detector circuit.
Further, the electronic watch further includes a correction pulse generator circuit configured to generate a correction pulse, and to output the correction pulse to the pulse selection circuit, in which the rotation detector circuit is configured to: instruct the pulse selection circuit to output the correction pulse when the step motor is determined to have failed to rotate; and instruct the frequency selection circuit on such a frequency as to enable the correction pulse to be output.
Further, the rotation detector circuit is configured to detect a timing at which the first detection signal stops being detected after the first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse has been detected, and to notify the second detection pulse generator circuit of the timing; and the second detection pulse generator circuit is configured to generate the second detection pulse after the timing.
An electronic watch according to another embodiment of the present invention includes: a step motor; a normal pulse generator circuit configured to output a normal pulse for driving the step motor; a detection pulse generator circuit configured to output, after the step motor has been driven with the normal pulse, a detection pulse for detecting whether or not the step motor has been rotated; a pulse selection circuit configured to selectively output the normal pulse and the detection pulse; a driver circuit configured to load a pulse output from the pulse selection circuit on the step motor; and a rotation detector circuit configured to input a detection signal generated from the detection pulse, and to determine whether or not the step motor has been rotated, in which: the detection pulse generator circuit includes: a first detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a first detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated first on a side different from a side of the normal pulse due to a counter-electromotive force generated by the driving with the normal pulse; and a second detection pulse generator circuit configured to generate a second detection pulse for detecting a current waveform, which is generated on the same side as the side of the normal pulse after the bell due to the counter-electromotive force generated due to the driving with the normal pulse; the rotation detector circuit is configured to detect a timing at which the first detection signal stops being detected after the first detection signal generated from the first detection pulse has been detected, and to notify the second detection pulse generator circuit of the timing; and the second detection pulse generator circuit is configured to generate the second detection pulse after the timing.
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic watch configured to detect a counter-electromotive force generated from a step motor with the counter-electromotive force being divided into a plurality of detection segments, and select a driving interval and a driving force of a driving pulse based on a detection result in each of the detection segments, to thereby achieve a highest-speed fast-forward operation of the step motor based on various environments under which the watch is placed.
Now, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A first embodiment of the present invention has a feature that the first embodiment is an example of a basic configuration of the present invention, and a bell and a well of a counter-electromotive force generated from a step motor are detected by being divided into a plurality of detection segments, to thereby determine a rotation speed of a rotor. A second embodiment of the present invention has a feature that the bell of the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor is detected by being divided into two detection segments, to thereby allow a rotation state of the rotor to be grasped quickly and widely. A third embodiment of the present invention has a feature that a dummy well, the bell, and the well of the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor are detected with high precision by being divided into three detection segments. A fourth embodiment of the present invention has a feature that the rotation speed of the rotor is quickly determined based on a detection end position of the bell of the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor.
[Description of Configuration of Electronic Watch According to First Embodiment:
A schematic configuration of an electronic watch according to the first embodiment is described with reference to
In
The electronic watch 1 is an analog display watch for displaying time with hands, and includes a battery serving as a power source, operation members, a wheel train, and hands. However, those components do not directly relate to the present invention, and hence descriptions thereof are omitted here.
The detection pulse generator circuit 10 includes a first detection pulse generator circuit 11 and a second detection pulse generator circuit 12. The first detection pulse generator circuit 11 is configured to output the first detection pulse DP1 for detecting the bell that occurs on a different side (reversed polarity) from that of the normal pulse SP due to the counter-electromotive force generated when the step motor 30 is driven with the normal pulse SP. The second detection pulse generator circuit 12 is configured to output the second detection pulse DP2 for detecting the well that occurs after the bell on the same side (same polarity) as that of the normal pulse SP.
The rotation detector circuit 40 includes a first detection determination circuit 41 and a second detection determination circuit 42. The first detection determination circuit 41 includes: a first detection position counter 41a configured to input the first detection signal DS1 generated by the first detection pulse DP1 and to examine a detection position, and a first detection number counter 41b configured to input the first detection signal DS1 in the same manner and to examine the number of times of detection. The second detection determination circuit 42 includes: a second detection position counter 42a configured to input the second detection signal DS2 generated by the second detection pulse DP2 and to examine the detection position, and a second detection number counter 42b configured to input the second detection signal DS2 in the same manner and to examine the number of times of detection.
The rotation detector circuit 40 is configured to grasp occurrence positions and numbers of occurrences of the first and second detection signals DS1 and DS2 based on measurement information obtained by the above-mentioned plurality of counters, and to output, to the frequency selection circuit 4, a frequency selection signal P5 that specifies a frequency for determining a driving interval of the normal pulse SP based on the information. In this case, the frequency selection circuit 4 selects a specific frequency based on the frequency selection signal P5, and outputs the selected frequency as the driving interval control signal P2 to the normal pulse generator circuit 5, the correction pulse generator circuit 6, and the detection pulse generator circuit 10.
Meanwhile, the normal pulse generator circuit 5 is configured to input the driving interval control signal P2, and to output the normal pulse SP with the driving interval control signal P2 being used as a trigger. For example, assuming that a frequency of a cycle period of 6 mS (that is, approximately 167 Hz) is selected by the frequency selection circuit 4, the driving interval control signal P2 is supplied to the normal pulse generator circuit 5 as a signal having the cycle period of 6 mS, and the normal pulse generator circuit 5 outputs the subsequent normal pulse SP 6 mS later with the driving interval control signal P2 being used as a trigger.
Further, the rotation detector circuit 40 is configured to measure the occurrence position and numbers of occurrences of the first and second detection signals DS1 and DS2 by the above-mentioned plurality of counters, to determine, based on the measured information, the rotation state of the step motor 30 and whether or not the step motor 30 has been rotated, and to output, based on a determination result thereof, a rank signal P6 for selecting a rank of a duty cycle of the normal pulse SP to the normal pulse generator circuit 5. The normal pulse generator circuit 5 switches the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP based on the rank signal P6, to thereby be able to make a driving force of the drive pulse DR to be supplied to the step motor 30 adjustable.
The driver circuit 20 has two built-in buffer circuits (not shown), and is configured to output the normal pulse SP or the correction pulse FP as the drive pulse DR from two output terminals O1 and O2 to drive the step motor 30. Further, the driver circuit 20 operates so as to cause both the two output terminals O1 and O2 to become open (high impedance) for a period corresponding to a short pulse width thereof in response to the first and second detection pulses DP1 and DP2.
With this configuration, both ends of a coil (described later) of the step motor 30 are brought into an open state for a short period of time by the first and second detection pulses DP1 and DP2. Therefore, there appears a counter-electromotive force generated in the coil during the open period, and the pulse-like counter-electromotive force is input to the rotation detector circuit 40 as the first and second detection signals DS1 and DS2. That is, the first and second detection signals DS1 and DS2 are pulse-like signals generated at the same time by the first and second detection pulses DP1 and DP2. The first and second detection pulses DP1 and DP2 and the first and second detection signals DS1 and DS2 are described later in detail.
[Descriptions of Configuration and Basic Operation of Step Motor:
Next, a configuration and a basic operation of the step motor 30 are described with reference to
Further, concave notches 32h and 32i are formed in predetermined positions opposed to each other on an inner peripheral surface of the semicircular portions 32a and 32b of the stator 32. The notches 32h and 32i cause a static stable point (position of a magnetic pole at a time of stop: indicated by an oblique line B) of the rotor 31 to deviate from an electromagnetic stable point (indicated by a straight line A) of the stator 32. An angular difference due to the deviation is referred to as “initial phase angle θi”, and a tendency to easily rotate in a predetermined direction is imparted to the rotor 31 based on the initial phase angle θi.
Next, the basic operation of the step motor 30 is described with reference to
Now, in
A current waveform i1 of
Further, a curved arrow D of
In this case, in the current waveform i2 exhibited during the damped period T2 when the rotor 31 fails to rotate, the induced current that has a smaller amplitude than the above-mentioned current waveform i1 and has a cycle period different therefrom is generated because the rotor 31 is not rotated.
The present invention is to provide an electronic watch that aims to detect in detail the counter-electromotive force within the damped period T2 after the end of the normal pulse SP illustrated in
[Description of Basic Operation of Rotation Detection of Rotor:
Next, with reference to the timing chart of
After the bell, the induced current is caused to flow on the same side (negative side in terms of GND) as that of the normal pulse SP due to the damped oscillation of the rotor 31, and a bell-like shape of the above-mentioned current is referred to as “well”. According to the present invention, basically, positions and periods of the bell and the well are sampled by a detection pulse formed of a plurality of detection segments, and are detected in detail, to thereby cause the rotation state of the rotor 31 to be grasped with high accuracy.
As illustrated in
Although not shown in
Now, the rotation detection through use of the first detection pulse DP1 for detecting the bell is described as an example. The first detection pulse DP1 of
In this case, as described above, the coil 33 becomes open for a short period of time by the first detection pulse DP1, and the first detection signal DS1 is generated from the input terminals C1 and C2, but the first pulse DP11 is output in the region of the dummy of the current waveform i1. Therefore, DS11 generated by DP11 is on the negative side in terms of GND, and the bell is not detected.
The second and third pulses DP12 and DP13 are output in the region of the bell of the current waveform i1, and hence DS12 and DS13 generated by DP12 and DP13 are on the positive side in terms of GND to exceed Vth. Therefore, it is determined that the bell has been detected. That is, in the example illustrated in
In this manner, the first detection segment G1 for detecting the bell is set to a period in which the bell is likely to occur (that is, period that allows the first detection signal DS1 to be detected). The detection of a current waveform i based on the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor 30 is determined in actuality based on whether or not a voltage waveform exceeds Vth set in advance as illustrated in
As described later in detail, although not shown in this case, a second detection segment G2 is set to a period in which the well is likely to occur, and a predetermined second detection pulse DP2 is output, to thereby detect the well. Further, a third detection segment G3 is set to a period in which the dummy is likely to occur, and a predetermined third detection pulse DP3 is output, to thereby also detect the dummy.
In this manner, according to the present invention, the first detection pulse DP1 and the second detection pulse DP2 are output by being divided into predetermined detection segments, and the driving interval (frequency) and the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP are selected based on a detection result within the detection segment, to thereby achieve a fast forward operation of the step motor with as fast a speed as possible.
Each of the detection segments may be divided into smaller segments. For example, although not shown, the first detection segment G1 for detecting the bell may be divided into a first half G1a and a second half G1b, and the driving interval and the like of the normal pulse SP may be selected based on detection results within the divided detection segments. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve fine driving control based on the rotation state of the rotor 31.
Further, a repetition cycle period t1 of the detection pulse DP within each of the detection segments, which is illustrated in
[Description of Rotation Detection in Fast-Forward Operation According to First Embodiment:
Next, the rotation detection conducted in the fast-forward operation for the step motor according to the first embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
In
Subsequently in
In this case, when the determination is positive (the bell has been detected with three pulses), the procedure advances to the subsequent Step S3, while when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), a rotation is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7. In this case,
Subsequently in
In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected with three or less pulses), the procedure advances to Step S4, and when the determination is negative (the well has not been detected), the procedure advances to Step S5. In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns from Step S4 to Step S1. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S2 and Step S3, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S4 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at the highest speed of (driving interval TS)=(approximately 5.4 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the rotation at the highest speed.
In this case, the reason why the normal pulse SP is output at the highest speed when the determination is positive in Step S3 is that the rotation of the rotor 31 has been determined to be smooth with high momentum and that the step motor 30 has been determined to be ready to undergo rotation drive at the highest speed based on the fact that the bell has been detected with three pulses within the first detection segment G1 and then the well has been detected with three or less pulses within the second segment first half G2a.
When the determination is negative in Step S3, the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 outputs the fourth piece of the second detection pulse DP2 for detecting the well, which defines a second half G2b of the second detection segment G2 (hereinafter abbreviated to “second segment second half G2b”), and the second detection determination circuit 42 determines whether or not the well has been detected with the fourth pulse based on the second detection position counter 42a and the second detection number counter 42b (Step S5). In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected with the fourth pulse), the procedure advances to Step S6. When the determination is negative (the well has not been detected), the rotation is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns from Step S6 to Step S1. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S2, negative in Step S3, and positive in Step S5, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S6 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at (driving interval TS)=(approximately 6.0 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the rotation at approximately 6.0 mS, which is around 10% slower than the highest speed.
In this case, the reason why the normal pulse SP is output at a speed of approximately 6.0 mS, which is slower than the highest speed, when the determination is positive in Step S5 is that the rotation of the rotor 31 can be determined to be somewhat slow due to some factor based on the fact that the well has not been detected with three or less pulses within the second segment first half G2a and has been detected with the fourth pulse within the second segment second half G2b. That is, in a case where the rotation of the rotor 31 is slow, when the subsequent normal pulse SP is supplied at the highest speed, a rotation error may be caused in the rotor 31, and hence the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is adjusted depending on the rotation state of the rotor 31, to thereby be able to prevent the rotation error.
Subsequently in
In this case,
As a result, the well has not been detected within the second segment first half G2a or the second segment second half G2b, and hence it is determined that the rotor 31 has failed to rotate. For example, after the lapse of approximately 32 mS, the correction pulse FP having a wide pulse width and a strong driving force is supplied to the same input terminal C1 to which the normal pulse SP1 has been supplied, to thereby correct the rotation error of the rotor 31.
Subsequently in
Subsequently, the rotation detector circuit 40 determines whether or not the rank of the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP is maximum (Step S9). In this case, the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP includes a plurality of ranks, and selection can be made stepwise from a rank exhibiting the smallest driving force (that is, the lowest duty cycle) to a rank exhibiting the largest driving force (that is, the highest duty cycle).
When the determination is positive (the rank is maximum) in Step S9, the rotation error has occurred even with the maximum rank, and hence the rank is set to the minimum in order to temporarily restore the minimum rank (Step S10). When the determination is negative in Step S9, the rotation error has occurred with the currently set rank, and hence in order to increase the driving force of the normal pulse SP, the rank is raised (that is, the duty cycle is increased; Step S11). That is, the rotation detector circuit 40 can instruct the normal pulse generator circuit 5 to select the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP based on a determination result as to whether or not the step motor 30 has been rotated. The number of ranks of the duty cycle is arbitrary, but, for example, 8 ranks to 16 ranks are set.
Subsequently in
Subsequently, the operation of Step S2 and the subsequent steps is continued. For example, when it is determined in Step S3 that the well has been detected with three or less pulses, the rotor 31 is determined to have been rotated normally with high momentum, the driving interval TS is set to 5.4 mS being the fastest speed in Step S4, and the rotor 31 restarts the rotation at the highest speed.
Although not illustrated in the flowchart of
As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide an electronic watch configured to detect the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor 30 with the counter-electromotive force being divided into a plurality of detection segments, and select the driving interval TS (frequency) and the driving force (duty cycle) of the normal pulse SP based on the occurrence position, that is, the detection position, the number of times of detection, and the like of a detection signal for detecting the bell and the well of the current waveform, to thereby achieve the fast-forward operation with the highest speed possible based on various environments under which the watch is placed. There are no limitations imposed on each of the driving intervals TS of the normal pulse SP, and the driving intervals TS may be selected arbitrarily based on performance of the step motor 30, specifications of the electronic watch, and the like.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Modification Example of First Embodiment;
Next, rotation detection conducted in a fast-forward operation of a step motor according to a modification example of the first embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
Specifically, in the modification example of the first embodiment, the second detection segment G2 for detecting the well is divided into three detection segments of the second segment first half G2a, a second segment middle G2c, and the second segment second half G2b. The second segment first half G2a is formed of the first and second pieces of the second detection pulse DP2, the second segment middle G2c is formed of the second and third pieces of the second detection pulse DP2, and the second segment second half G2b is formed of the third and fourth pieces of the second detection pulse DP2. That is, the detection pulse that forms each of the detection segments covers adjacent detection segments.
In this case, the timing charts of
With the electronic watch 1 having the configuration described with reference to
In the flowchart of
Subsequently in
Subsequently in
In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns to Step S1 as processing subsequent to Step S22. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S2 and Step S21, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S22 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at (driving interval TS)=(approximately 7.0 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the fast-forward operation at relatively high speed.
In
In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns to Step S1 as processing subsequent to Step S24. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S23, negative in Step S21, and positive in Step S23, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S24 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at (driving interval TS)=(approximately 7.5 mS, which allows the step motor 30 to continue the fast-forward operation at the moderate speed.
Subsequently in
In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns to Step S1 as processing subsequent to Step S26. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S22, negative in Step S21, negative in Step S23, and positive in Step S25, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S26 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at (driving interval TS)=(approximately 8.5 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the fast-forward operation at relatively low speed.
Subsequently in
As described above, according to the modification example of the first embodiment, in order to detect the well of the current waveform i, the second detection segment G2 for detecting the well is divided into a plurality of segments with the divided detection segments being formed so as to cover another adjacent detection segment, to thereby be able to prevent a counting error in the detection signal, detect the rotation state of the rotor 31 with high resolution power, and finely control the normal pulse SP.
For example,
That is, the adjacent detection segments are formed so as to cover each other, and the driving interval of the normal pulse SP is set based on the detection result within each of the detection segments. Therefore, even when there is a slight change in the detection position of the well, it is possible to positively detect the change, and to finely select the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP with high precision. In the configuration exemplified in this case, the two detection segments are formed so as to cover each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, three detection segments may be formed so as to cover of one another. Further, there are no limitations imposed on the number of divisions of a detection segment.
This embodiment is described by taking the example in which the second detection segment G2 for detecting the well is divided into a plurality of segments to be formed so as to cover another adjacent detection segment, but such a configuration is not limited to the second detection segment. For example, the first detection segment G1 for detecting the bell may be divided into a plurality of segments to be formed so as to cover another adjacent detection segment.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Second Embodiment:
Next, rotation detection conducted in a fast-forward operation of a step motor according to the second embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
In this case, the timing charts of
In
Subsequently, the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 outputs four first detection pulses DP1 for detecting the bell, which define the first segment first half G1a, and the first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not the bell has been detected by three first detection signals DS1 from among the four first detection pulses DP1 (Step S31). In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected by three signals), the procedure advances to Step S32, and when the determination is negative (the well has not been detected), the procedure advances to Step S36. In this case,
Subsequently in
Subsequently, the second detection determination circuit 42 determines whether or not the well has been detected by one or more second detection signals DS2 with three or less second detection pulses DP2 (Step S33). In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected by one or more signals), the procedure advances to Step S4, and when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the procedure advances to Step S34. In this case,
Subsequently in
Then, the procedure returns from Step S4 to Step S1. Therefore, when the determination is always positive in Step S31 and Step S33, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S4 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at the highest speed of (driving interval TS)=(approximately 5.4 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the rotation at the highest speed.
In this case, the reason why the normal pulse SP is output at the highest speed is that the rotation of the rotor 31 can be determined to be smooth with high momentum and that the step motor 30 can be determined to be ready to undergo rotation drive at the highest speed based on the fact that the bell has been detected with three pulses within the first segment first half G1a of Step S31 and the well has been detected with three or less pulses within the second segment first half G2a of the subsequent Step S33.
Subsequently in
Subsequently, the second detection determination circuit 42 determines whether or not the second detection signal DS2 has been detected with respect to the additionally output second detection pulse DP2 as the second segment second half G2b for continuing the detection of the well (that is, whether or not the well has been detected with the fourth pulse) (Step S35). In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected), the procedure advances to Step S39. When the determination is negative (the well has not been detected), the rotation is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
In Step S34, only one second detection pulse DP2 is output within the second segment second half G2b, but the number of second detection pulses DP2 is not limited to one. For example, two second detection pulses DP2 may be output to determine in the subsequent Step S35 whether or not one pulse has been detected out of the two pulses. In this case, the detection condition for the well is relaxed, and the probability that the rotation is determined to have failed is reduced, but a time period required for the rotation detection becomes longer (time period for one detection pulse increases).
Subsequently in
In this case,
Subsequently in
Subsequently, the second detection determination circuit 42 determines whether or not the well has been detected by one or more second detection signals DS2 with four or less second detection pulses DP2 (Step S38). In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected by one or more signals), the procedure advances to Step S39. When the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7. In this case,
Subsequently in
In this manner, the condition that the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 6.0 mS, which is slower than the highest speed, is a case where the bell has been detected with three pulses within the first segment first half G1a (Step S31) and the well has been detected with one pulse within the second segment second half G2b (Step S35) and a case where the bell has been detected with three pulses within the first segment second half G1b (Step S36) and the well has been detected with four or less second detection segments G2 (Step S38).
The reason for the above-mentioned condition is that the rotation of the rotor 31 can be determined to be somewhat slow due to some factor when the detection of the succeeding well is late (the well is detected within the second segment second half G2b) even after the bell is detected within the first segment first half G1a (from the first to fourth pulses) or when the bell is detected within the first segment second half G1b (from the fourth to eighth pulses). That is, in the case where the rotation of the rotor 31 is slow with little momentum, when the normal pulse SP is supplied at the highest speed, a rotation error may be caused in the rotor 31, and hence the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is selected depending on the rotation state of the rotor 31, to thereby prevent the rotation error.
Subsequently in
As described above, according to the second embodiment, the detection position of the bell due to the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor 30 is detected with the two divided detection segments, and a selection is made from the high-speed detection mode and the low-speed detection mode based on a detection result thereof. Therefore, even when variations in the rotation of the rotor 31 cause a large change in the bell of the current waveform i due to the counter-electromotive force, the change can be detected quickly and widely, and hence it is possible to provide an electronic watch that achieves an appropriate fast-forward operation.
That is, according to this embodiment, the detection is conducted by dividing the first detection segment G1 for detecting the bell into the two detection segments (G1a and G1b) in the first half and the second half, and the rotation state of the rotor 31 is quickly predicted based on the detection position of the bell, to thereby be able to increase the speed of proceeding to high-speed rotation by executing the high-speed detection mode when it is assumed that the rotation is maintaining high momentum. When it is assumed based on the detection position of the bell that the rotation of the rotor 31 is maintaining little momentum, the operation proceeds to the low-speed detection mode to widely set detection ranges of the bell and the well, to thereby be able to handle even large rotation variations of the rotor 31.
[Description of Configuration of Electronic Watch According to Third Embodiment:
Next, a schematic configuration of an electronic watch according to the third embodiment is described with reference to
In
The detection pulse generator circuit 10 includes a third detection pulse generator circuit 13 distinctive to the third embodiment. The third detection pulse generator circuit 13 is configured to output the third detection pulse DP3 for detecting the dummy that occurs immediately after the normal pulse SP due to the counter-electromotive force generated when the step motor 30 is driven with the normal pulse SP.
The rotation detector circuit 40 includes a third detection determination circuit 43 distinctive to the third embodiment. The third detection determination circuit 43 includes: a third detection position counter 43a configured to input the third detection signal DS3 generated by the third detection pulse DP3 and to examine a detection position, and a third detection number counter 43b configured to input the third detection signal DS3 in the same manner and to examine the number of times of detection.
Further, reference numeral 50 represents a power supply voltage detector circuit serving as a factor detection circuit, and is configured to detect a voltage of a battery or the like (not shown) serving as a power source of the electronic watch 100, and to output, when the voltage has become equal to or lower than a predetermined level, a voltage LOW signal P7 for notifying to that effect to the rotation detector circuit 40. An operation of the power supply voltage detector circuit 50 is described later.
The frequency counting circuit 60 is configured to count the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle. A rank signal for selecting the rank of the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP based on the number of outputs counted by the frequency counting circuit 60 is supplied to the normal pulse generator circuit 5 along with the driving interval control signal P2 output by the frequency selection circuit 4.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Third Embodiment:
Next, the rotation detection operation conducted in the fast-forward operation for the step motor according to the third embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
Then,
In
Subsequently, the third detection pulse generator circuit 13 outputs two third detection pulses DP3 for detecting the dummy, which define the third detection segment G3, and the third detection determination circuit 43 determines whether or not the dummy has been detected by one third detection signal DS3 from among two third detection pulses DP3 (Step S41). In this case, when the determination is positive (the dummy has been detected), the procedure advances to Step S42, and when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the procedure advances to Step S45.
In this case,
Subsequently in
Subsequently in
Subsequently in
In this case, the reason why the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is made slower than the highest speed is that the dummy has been detected within the third detection segment G3 of Step S41. That is, as described above, the dummy of the current waveform i appears when the rotor 31 has not finished being rotated by 180-θi degrees as illustrated in
Subsequently in
Subsequently in
Subsequently in
In this case, the reason why the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is made the highest speed is that the dummy has not been detected within the third detection segment G3 of Step S41. That is, as described above, the dummy of the current waveform i does not appear when the rotor 31 has finished being rotated by 180-θi degrees (when the rotation of the rotor is fast) during output of the driving pulse SP. Therefore, the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to be fast because the dummy has not been detected, and hence the driving interval at the highest speed is set.
Then, the procedure returns to Step S1 as processing subsequent to Step S4. Therefore, when the determination continues to be negative in Step S41, and when the determination continues to be positive in Step S45 and Step S46, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S4 is continued, and the normal pulse SP keeps being output at the highest speed of (driving interval TS)=(approximately 5.4 mS), which allows the step motor 30 to continue the rotation at the highest speed.
Subsequently in
As described above, according to the third embodiment, three phenomena of the dummy, the bell, and the well due to the counter-electromotive force generated from the step motor 30 are detected in order after the normal pulse SP is output, to thereby allow the rotation state of the rotor 31 to be grasped accurately, and it is possible to provide an electronic watch for detecting the rotation state of the step motor 30 with high precision. Further, it is determined whether or not a dummy is present or absent immediately after the output of the normal pulse SP, and when no dummy is detected, the operation proceeds to the high-speed detection mode to execute the detection of the bell for a short period of time (one first detection pulse DP1) on the assumption that the rotation is fast with the rotation of the rotor 31 maintaining high momentum, to thereby carry out processing for prioritizing the high-speed rotation drive of the step motor 30. Therefore, this embodiment relates to drive means for preferentially driving the step motor 30 at the highest speed as much as possible.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Modification Example of Third Embodiment;
Next, rotation detection conducted in a fast-forward operation of a step motor according to a modification example of the third embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
With the electronic watch 100 having the configuration described with reference to
In
In this case, after execution of Step S44 for setting the driving interval TS for the step motor 30 to approximately 7.5 mS, the rotation detector circuit 40 determines whether or not the rank of the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP is minimum (Step S51). In this case, when the determination is positive (the rank is minimum), the current rank (that is, minimum rank) is maintained (Step S52). When the determination is negative in Step S51, the lowering of the rank is executed in order to prioritize the low-power-consumption drive as much as possible (Step S53).
Then, the procedure returns to Step S1 after execution of Step S52 or Step S53, and hence when the determination continues to be positive in Step S41, Step S42, and Step S43, the normal pulse SP keeps being output at (driving interval TS)=(approximately 7.5 mS). Then, the step motor 30 continues the rotation at a moderate speed slower than the highest speed, and the rank of the normal pulse SP (that is, duty cycle) is processed to proceed to the minimum rank in order to prioritize the low-power-consumption drive.
Further, after execution of Step S4 for setting the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP to 5.4 mS being the fastest speed, it is determined whether or not the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle, which is counted by the frequency counting circuit 60, has reached 256 (Step S55). In this case, when the determination is positive (the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle has been output 256 or more times), the procedure returns to Step S1 with the rank being lowered in order to prioritize the low-power-consumption drive (Step S54). When the determination is negative in Step S55, the procedure returns to Step S1 without a change being made to the rank. In place of Step S53 described above, the same processing as that of Steps S55 and S54 may be conducted.
As described above, a basic operation of the modification example of the third embodiment is the same as that of the above-mentioned flow of the third embodiment illustrated in
Further, when the rank is lowered after the determination of Step S55 while the normal pulse SP is being driven with the driving interval TS of 5.4 mS being the fastest speed, the driving force of the step motor 30 decreases, and as a result, the rotation speed of the rotor 31 becomes slower. Therefore, it is likely that the determination of dummy determination (Step S41) becomes positive, and the selection of the driving interval TS proceeds to approximately 7.5 mS.
Accordingly, the modification example of the third embodiment also includes control for not only conducting the low-power-consumption drive by the lowering of the rank of the normal pulse SP but also conducting the low-power-consumption drive by causing the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP to become slower. In this manner, in the modification example of the third embodiment, both drive conditions for the duty cycle and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP are changed, to thereby be able to achieve the low-power-consumption drive.
[Description of Switching Operation through Factor Detection According to Third Embodiment:
Next, an example of an operation of switching between the above-mentioned two drive means of the third embodiment (rotation-speed-first drive) and the modification example of the third embodiment (low-power-consumption-first drive) through specific factor detection is described with reference to the flowchart of
In
Subsequently, the rotation detector circuit 40 determines based on the voltage LOW signal P7 whether or not the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage (Step S62). In this case, when the determination is positive (the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the predetermined voltage), it is determined that a capacity of the battery has been lowered, and in order to reduce the power consumption, the operation proceeds to the low-power-consumption-first drive (that is, operation flow of the modification example of the third embodiment illustrated in
With the above-mentioned operation, the rotation detector circuit 40 instructs the frequency selection circuit 4 on the frequency and instructs the normal pulse generator circuit 5 on the duty cycle, and hence it is possible to provide an electronic watch that achieves appropriate drive of the step motor so as to handle fluctuations in the battery voltage. The factor detection is not limited to the battery voltage. For example, temperature measurement means for measuring the ambient temperature may be provided to switch the drive condition for the step motor 30 depending on a temperature change.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Another Modification Example of Third Embodiment:
Next, the rotation detection conducted in the fast-forward operation for the step motor according to another modification example of the third embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
In this case, timing charts of
With the electronic watch 100 having the configuration described with reference to
In
Subsequently, in order to detect the head of the bell, the first detection pulse circuit 11 outputs one first detection pulse DP1 as the first segment first half G1a, and the first detection determination generator circuit 41 determines whether or not the first piece of the first detection signal DS1 at the head has been detected (Step S71). In this case, when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the procedure advances to Step S72 on the assumption that there is a dummy (that is, the rotation is slow), and when the determination is positive (the first piece has been detected), the procedure advances to Step S73 on the assumption that there is no dummy (that is, the rotation is fast). In this case,
Then, in
In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected by three signals), the procedure advances to Step S43, and when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation is determined to have failed and the procedure advances to Step S7. In this case,
Subsequently, when the determination is positive in Step S72, the procedure advances to Step S43, and the subsequent processing is the same as that of the flow of the third embodiment illustrated in
Then, when the determination is positive in Step S71, it is assumed that the dummy does not exist and the rotation of the rotor 31 is fast with constant momentum, and hence the subsequent detection is set to be conducted in the high-speed detection mode. That is, in order to carry out confirmation of the bell in a short period of time, the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 outputs three first detection pulses DP1 as the first segment second half G1b, and the first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not the bell has been detected by one first detection signal DS1 from among the three first detection pulses DP1 (Step S73).
In this case, when the determination is positive (the well has been detected by one signal), the procedure advances to Step S46, and when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7. In this case,
Subsequently, when the determination is positive in Step S73, the subsequent processing in Step S46 and subsequent steps is the same as that of the flow of the third embodiment illustrated in
Further, when the determination is negative in Steps S72, S43, S73, and S46, the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to have failed, and Steps S7 to S11 are executed. Therefore, the generation of a further detection pulse is stopped, the correction pulse FP is output, the driven period TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 62.5 mS, the rank of the duty cycle of the normal pulse SP is adjusted, and the procedure returns to Step S1. The above-mentioned series of processing is the same as that of the flow of the third embodiment illustrated in
As described above, according to the another modification example of the third embodiment, the presence or absence of the dummy is assumed based on the presence or absence of the detection of the head of the bell (that is, presence or absence of the detection within the first segment first half G1a), to thereby quickly grasp the rotation state of the rotor and determine the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP, and hence there is no need to detect the dummy, which allows the rotation state of the rotor 31 to be detected at high speed while maintaining high detection accuracy. Therefore, this embodiment is suitable for the electronic watch including the step motor capable of high-speed rotation. Further, this embodiment involves no need to detect the dummy, and hence the configuration of the electronic watch 100 illustrated in
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Fourth Embodiment:
Next, rotation detection conducted in a fast-forward operation of a step motor according to the fourth embodiment is described with reference to the flowchart of
An electronic watch according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the electronic watch according to the first embodiment, and hence the configuration is described with reference to
In
Subsequently, in order to detect the bell, the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 outputs six first detection pulses DP1 as the first detection segment G1, and the first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not two first detection signals DS1 have been detected with the first two first detection pulses DP1 (Step S81). In this case, when the determination is positive (the first two signals have been detected), the procedure advances to Step S82. When the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
When the determination is negative in Step S81, there is a probability that the rotation of the rotor 31 is maintaining little momentum and the dummy has appeared as illustrated in
Subsequently, when the determination is positive in Step S81, the first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not the bell has been detected by the first detection signal DS1 with the third piece of the first detection pulse DP1 (Step S82). In this case, when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the output of the first detection pulse DP1 is stopped at the fourth piece, and the procedure advances to Step S83. When the determination is positive (the bell has been detected), the procedure advances to Step S85.
Subsequently, when the determination is negative in Step S82, in order to proceed to the detection of the well, the rotation detector circuit 40 notifies the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 to that effect, the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 outputs two second detection pulses DP2 as the second detection segment G2, and the second detection determination circuit 42 determines whether or not two second detection signals DS2 have been detected with the two second detection pulses DP2 (Step S83). In this case, when the determination is positive (two signals have been detected), the procedure advances to Step S84. When the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
Subsequently, when the determination is positive in Step S83, the frequency selection circuit 4 sets, for example, (driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP)=(approximately 7.0 mS) (Step S84). Then, the processing returns from Step S84 to Step S1, and the subsequent normal pulse SP is output after the lapse of approximately 7.0 mS.
Then, in the same manner, in
Further, as illustrated in
Next, an operation timing of the fourth embodiment is described with reference to timing charts of
In this case, the timing chart of
In this case, a timing at which the first detection signal DS1 stops being detected, that is, a detection end position Z of the bell falls in the third piece of the first detection signal DS1, and the well has been successfully detected. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation of the rotor 31 is relatively fast, and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 7.0 mS.
The timing chart of
In this case, the detection end position Z of the bell falls in the fourth piece of the first detection signal DS1, and the well has been successfully detected. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation of the rotor 31 is a moderate speed, and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 7.5 mS.
The timing chart of
In this case, the detection end position Z of the bell falls in the fifth piece of the first detection signal DS1, and the well has been success fully detected. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation of the rotor 31 is relatively slow, and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 8.5 mS.
The timing chart of
In this case, the detection end position Z of the bell falls in the sixth piece of the first detection signal DS1, and the well has been success fully detected. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation of the rotor 31 is relatively slow, and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is set to approximately 9.0 mS.
The timing chart of the timing chart of
In this case, the detection end position Z of the bell cannot be detected because the first detection signal DS1 has been detected up to the sixth piece, and hence it is determined that the rotor 31 has failed to rotate.
In the flowchart of
Further, as described above, in the fourth embodiment, the rotation detector circuit 40 notifies the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 that the determination is negative as a result of the detection determination by the first detection signal DS1, and the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 generates the second detection pulse DP2 at a timing after the detection by the first detection signal DS1 is determined to be negative. That is, as illustrated in
As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the detection end position Z of the bell is detected based on the first detection pulse DP1 within the first detection segment G1 for detecting the bell, and the driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP is determined based on the detection end position Z. Therefore, the driving interval TS can be determined quickly after the end of the bell, and it is also possible to support a speedup of the rotation detection. With this configuration, even during the high-speed rotation of the step motor 30, the rotation detection can be conducted without a delay in the rotation state, which allows the rotation detection to be conducted with high precision during the high-speed rotation.
Further, the rotation state of the rotor 31 is grasped based on the detection end position Z of the bell. Therefore, even when there is a great change in the shape of the bell, that is, even when there is a great change in the rotation state of the rotor 31 as illustrated in
The rotation detection operation described in the fourth embodiment can be applied not only during the fast-forward operation but also to other times including during hand movement, for example, during a normal hand movement operation. The rotation detection operation according to this application example is described with reference to the flowchart of
In
Subsequently, in order to detect the bell, the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 outputs, as the first detection segment G1, the first detection pulse DP1 a predetermined number of times, for example, six pieces as an upper limit. The first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not two first detection signals DS1 have been detected (Step S111). In this case, when the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
When the determination is positive in Step S111, the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 keeps outputting the first detection pulse DP1 unless the number of outputs of the first detection pulse DP1 has reached the upper limit, and the first detection determination circuit 41 determines whether or not the detection by the first detection signal DS1 has been determined to be negative (there is no such detection) (Step S112). When the determination is positive in Step S112, the first detection segment G1 is ended, and the first detection pulse generator circuit 11 is caused to stop outputting the first detection pulse (Step S113).
When the output of the first detection pulse is stopped (Step 113), or when the number of times that the first detection pulse has been generated has reached the upper limit before the detection by the first detection signal DS1 been determined to be negative (there is no such detection) (Step 112: N), in order to proceed to the detection of the well, the rotation detector circuit 40 notifies the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 to that effect, and the second detection pulse generator circuit 12 outputs two second detection pulses DP2 as the second detection segment G2. The second detection determination circuit 42 detects whether or not two second detection signals DS2 have been detected with the two second detection pulses DP2 (Step S114). In this case, when the determination is positive (two signals have been detected), the procedure advances to Step S115 to determine that the rotation of the rotor 31 is successful. When the determination is negative (there is no such detection), the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to have failed, and the procedure advances to Step S7.
The processing of Step S7 and the subsequent steps is the same as that of the flow of the first embodiment illustrated in
An operation timing according to this application example is described with reference to the timing chart of
In this case, the first detection signal DS1 has not been detected with the first piece of the first detection pulse DP1, but two first detection signals DS1 have been detected with the following second and third pulses, and hence the determination is positive in Step S111. At this time, the number of outputs of the first detection pulse DP1 has not reached the upper limit of six, and hence the first detection segment G1 is continued to further output the first detection pulse DP1. The fourth piece of the first detection signal DS1 has been detected, and hence the fifth piece of the first detection pulse DP1 is output. The fifth piece of the first detection signal DS1 has not been detected, and hence this position is set as the detection end position Z. The first detection segment G1 is ended at the detection end position Z, and the output of the first detection pulse DP1 is stopped (Steps S112 and S113).
Two second detection signals DS2 have been detected with two second detection pulses DP2 within the succeeding second detection segment G2, and the rotation of the rotor 31 is determined to be successful (Steps S114 and S115).
In this manner, also during the normal hand movement operation, even when the shape of the bell is greatly changed by proceeding to the second detection segment G2 based on the detection end position Z, that is, even when there is a great change in the rotation state of the rotor 31, a detection error due to the change can be prevented, and it is possible to provide an electronic watch including high-precision rotation detection means having a wide rotation detection range.
[Description of Rotation Detection Operation According to Fifth Embodiment:
Next, rotation detection operation conducted in a fast-forward operation of a step motor according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the flowchart of
First, the power supply voltage detector circuit 50 detects the power supply voltage of the electronic watch (Step S101). Then, the rank of the normal pulse SP corresponding to the detected power supply voltage is selected (Step S102). In this manner, the power supply voltage of the electronic watch is first detected, and an optimal rank is selected, to thereby enable the step motor 30 to be driven with minimum power consumption while increasing the speed of the hand movement immediately after the start of the hand movement.
After that, the normal pulse generator circuit 5 outputs the normal pulse SP (Step S1) to drive the step motor 30. When one third detection signal DS3 is detected from among two third detection pulses DP3 (Step S41), when three first detection signals DS are detected from among four first detection pulse DP1 (Step S42), and when one second detection pulses DP2 is detected from among three second detection signals DS2, the procedure advances to Step S44 of
Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle, which is counted by the frequency counting circuit 60, has reached 256 (Step S103). When the determination is negative in Step S103, that is, when the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle has not reached 256, the processing of from Step S1 to Step S103 is continued without a change being made to the rank of the normal pulse SP.
Meanwhile, when the determination is positive in Step S103, that is, when the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle, which is counted by the frequency counting circuit 60, has reached 256, the rotation detector circuit 40 determines whether or not the rank of the normal pulse SP is maximum (Step S104). When the determination is negative in Step S104, that is, when there is room to raise the rank, the rank is raised. After the rank of the normal pulse SP is raised, when the determination is negative in Step S41, when the determination is positive in Step S45, and when the determination is positive in Step S46, (driving interval TS of the normal pulse SP)=(approximately 5.4 mS) is set.
In this manner, in the modification example of the third embodiment described with reference to
Meanwhile, when the determination is positive in Step S104, that is, when the rank of the normal pulse SP is maximum and when there is no more room to raise the rank, the processing is continued with the current rank (Step S105). At this time, the generation of the normal pulse SP having (driving interval TS)=(approximately 7.5 mS) is continued.
Next, the case where the driving interval TS is set to approximately 5.4 mS being the highest speed is described. In Step S55 of
Meanwhile, when the determination is positive in Step S55, that is, when the number of outputs of the normal pulse SP having the same duty cycle has reached 256, the rotation detector circuit 40 determines whether or not the rank of the normal pulse SP is minimum (Step S107). When the determination is negative in Step S107, that is, when there is room to lower the rank, the rank is lowered. In this manner, when the rank is not minimum, the rank is lowered to the minimum duty cycle that can maintain the highest speed, to thereby be able to suppress the power consumption.
As described above, the electronic watch according to the fifth embodiment is designed so as to optimize a balance between the speedup of the step motor 30 and the reduction in the power consumption. In particular, the fifth embodiment is suitable for application to a solar-powered clock exhibiting rapid fluctuations in the power supply voltage.
The block diagrams, the flowcharts, the timing charts, and the like used for illustrating the respective embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the present invention, and can be changed arbitrarily as long as the gist of the present invention is satisfied. For example, no limitations are imposed on the number of outputs of the detection pulse, the detection period, the number of times of detection, or the like within each of the detection segments, and can be changed arbitrarily based on the performance of the step motor and the specifications of the electronic watch.
The count of the detection signals conducted within each of the detection segments, which is described in each embodiment, is determined by counting a total sum of the detection signals. That is, irrespective of whether the detection pulses are detected consecutively or non-consecutively within each of the detection segments, the determination is positive as long as a predetermined number of times of detection (total sum) has been reached. For example, in the second embodiment, three first detection signals DS1 are detected consecutively from the second piece within the first segment first half G1a illustrated in
Further, in the case where the determination is positive when one detection pulse is detected within each of the detection segments, the detection pulse in any position within the segment may be detected. For example, in the second embodiment, the determination is positive when the third piece of the second detection signal DS2 is detected within the second segment first half G2a illustrated in
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